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The Conversation USA

Lightning strikes make collecting a parasitic fungus prized in traditional Chinese medicine a deadly pursuit

  • Written by Daile Zhang, Assistant Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, University of North Dakota
imageCollecting the fungus is a high-risk, high-reward proposition.Kevin Frayer/Getty Images News via Getty Images

In the remote Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, a rare fungus grows inside dead caterpillars. In traditional Chinese medicine, this parasitic fungus is prized for its purported medicinal effects. Known as Ophiocordyceps sinensis –...

Read more: Lightning strikes make collecting a parasitic fungus prized in traditional Chinese medicine a...

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